Ephesians 4:17-6:16

English Standard Version

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(A)testify in the Lord, ^(B)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(C)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(D)are darkened in their understanding, ^(E)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(F)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(G)have become callous and ^(H)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(I)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(J)you have heard about him and ^(K)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(L)put off ^(M)your old self,^[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(N)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(O)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(P)the new self, ^(Q)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(R)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(S)we are members one of another. ^26 (T)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(U)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(V)let him labor, ^(W)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(X)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (Y)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give ^(Z)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(AA)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(AB)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(AC)redemption. ^31 (AD)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (AE)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(AF)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Walk in Love

5 ^(AG)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And ^(AH)walk in love, ^(AI)as Christ loved us and ^(AJ)gave himself up for us, a ^(AK)fragrant ^(AL)offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But ^(AM)sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness ^(AN)must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be ^(AO)no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, ^(AP)which are out of place, but instead ^(AQ)let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that ^(AR)everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (^(AS)that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ^6 (AT)Let no one ^(AU)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(AV)the wrath of God comes upon ^(AW)the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore ^(AX)do not become partners with them; ⁸ for ^(AY)at one time you were ^(AZ)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^(BA)Walk as children of light ⁹ (for ^(BB)the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and ^(BC)try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ^11 (BD)Take no part in the ^(BE)unfruitful ^(BF)works of darkness, but instead ^(BG)expose them. ¹² For ^(BH)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when ^(BI)anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

^15 (BM)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 (BN)making the best use of the time, because ^(BO)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(BP)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(BQ)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(BR)debauchery, but ^(BS)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in ^(BT)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ^20 (BU)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(BV)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (BW)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

^22 (BX)Wives, ^(BY)submit to your own husbands, ^(BZ)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(CA)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(CB)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(CC)himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(CD)in everything to their husbands.

^25 (CE)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(CF)gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(CG)the washing of water ^(CH)with the word, ²⁷ so ^(CI)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(CJ)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^{[b] 28} In the same way ^(CK)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because ^(CL)we are members of his body. ^31 (CM)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(CN)the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, ^(CO)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(CP)respects her husband.

Children and Parents

6 ^(CQ)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (CR)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ^(CS)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (CT)Bondservants,^[c] obey your earthly masters^[d] with fear and trembling, ^(CU)with a sincere heart, ^(CV)as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(CW)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ^8 (CX)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(CY)whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, ^(CZ)and stop your threatening, knowing that ^(DA)he who is both their Master^[e] and yours is in heaven, and that ^(DB)there is no partiality with him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(DC)be strong in the Lord and in ^(DD)the strength of his might. ^11 (DE)Put on ^(DF)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(DG)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(DH)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(DI)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(DJ)the cosmic powers over ^(DK)this present darkness, against ^(DL)the spiritual forces of evil ^(DM)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(DN)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(DO)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(DP)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(DQ)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(DR)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(DS)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(DT)the flaming darts of ^(DU)the evil one;